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Power import from India starts Jul 6

Import of 250MW electricity from India is expected to start on July 6.

“We hope to complete all necessary work, including setting up transmission lines and constructing sub-stations by July 6,” said Md Jamal Ullah, managing director of Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB), over the phone on Saturday.

The PGCB operational chief is now visiting Baharampur in West Bengal, India, on a three-day trip (April 5-7) to inspect the progress of the work.

“The construction of a 27km, 400KV transmission line and a high voltage direct current sub-station is going on in full swing for importing electricity from Baharampur, India, to Bheramara in Bangladesh,” he said.

“Land development work on the Indian side has been completed while 80% towers have been set up and the transmission line is ready. It is expected that rest of the work will be completed by June.

“Transmission of electricity will be possible from July 6,” Jamal added.

The price of 1KW electricity from India is expected to be Tk4, but the Indian authorities are yet to fix the wheeling charge. The PGCB will charge the Power Development Board Tk0.23 per unit.

Bangladesh undertook the project to import electricity from India at a cost of about Tk15.79b. The Asian Development Bank is providing Tk7b of the amount while the government is providing Tk7.77b. The PGCB has stakes worth over Tk1b.

Spanish contractor Cobra got the development work.

Dhaka and New Delhi signed a memorandum of understanding in January 2010 during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India. Later, India decided to export 250MW power to Bangladesh from its unallocated resources and another 250MW from open market in India through tender.

The PDB has already floated tender to procure the additional 250MW.

Bangladesh has a demand for 6,500MW electricity a day now, but it produces only 5,800MW.